Certificate of Conformity for Exports to Iraq

Pre-Inspection, Testing and Issuing of Certificates of Conformity Programme of Goods Imported into Iraq

From the 1st January 2020, Exporters/Importers trading with Iraq need to comply with the requirements of Pre-Inspection, Testing and Issuing of Certificates of Conformity Programme of Goods Imported into Iraq which mandates that shipments require a Certificate of Conformity in order to clear customs. Failure to do so can result in severe delays in goods clearance, penalties, or even shipments being returned.

The Conformity Assessment Programme (CAP) verifies the conformity of all Regulated Products which include but not limited to:  Food, Toys, Electrical and Electronic Appliances, Vehicle Spare Parts, Vehicle Tyres, Chemicals, Cosmetics and Perfumery Products, Tobacco Products, Construction and Building Materials, Kitchenware, Stationery, Baby Care Items, Textile products and Lubricants in the respective Country of Supply.

The CAP focuses primarily on safety and quality standards giving Iraqi consumers the assurance they need in the quality and safety of goods being imported and helping to protect their environment.

The requirements for Iraq are:

• Every consignment of imported goods which contains Regulated Products must be accompanied by a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) issued by the responsible local Intertek Country Office in the Exporter’s region prior to shipment. Contact the nearest responsible nearest Intertek office. 
• The Certificate of Conformity is required to ensure smooth Customs clearance of shipments at Iraqi Ports and Borders.
• The Certificate of Conformity verifies that the regulated products comply with the relevant Iraqi Technical Regulations and approved standards.
• Every consignment of certified products on its arrival at Iraqi Ports and Borders will be subjected to Destination Inspections by Iraq based Intertek authorised Office.
• The authorities in Iraq will undertake random Shipment Surveillance on imported consignments to verify product compliance.

To apply for a Certificate of Conformity, you will need to supply DASH  with:

• Completed Request for Certification (RfC) Form
• A copy of Proforma Invoice, if available
• Product Data Sheet and/or products’ description
• Information concerning production (e.g. Lot Number, Production Date / Expiry Date, etc.)
• Evidence of Compliance such as Test Reports, Halal Certificates, Health and Phytosanitary Certificates, Free-sale Certificates, etc.
• Transport Document (Bill of Lading/Air Way Bill/CMR), if available
• Letter of Credit (L/C), if available
• Country of Origin certificate

For Exporters having regular shipments of the same product to Iraq, it would be beneficial to also apply for Registration.

DASH provides services as per  the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (COSQC) as a Certification Body authorised to issue Certificates of Conformity (CoC) for regulated product consignments exported to Iraq.

Consignment Based Conformity Assessment (CBCA) service for exports to Kurdistan

Exporters/Importers trading with the Kurdistan region need to comply with the requirements of Kurdistan’s Consignment Based Conformity Assessment (CBCA) service which mandates that shipments require a Certificate of Conformity in order to clear customs. Failure to do so can result in severe delays in goods clearance, penalties, or even shipments being returned.

CBCA focuses primarily on quality and safety standards giving Kurdistan consumers the assurance they need in the quality and safety of goods being imported and helping to protect their environment.

CBCA verifies the conformity of products being shipped to the Kurdistan region.

The evaluation process for the issuance of CoC includes:

• review of submitted conformity documents,
• physical verification to review the markings & labelling,
• assessment of the conformity of the products
• verification of the inspected products with the shipping and/or transaction documents.

Compliance with the relevant Kurdistan or approved international/ national standards results in the issuance of a CoC prior to shipment.